Silly, serious and Taylor Swift too

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The Golden Globe Awards likes to think of itself as the party of the year, but instead of a champagne-filled, raunchy romp, it can sometimes feel like an awkward high school reunion for extremely famous people.

Some are meeting up with old friends and co-stars, some are kissing their dates in public, and some are fawning over cool kids they haven’t met yet. Sometimes this happens on camera, like when “Poor Things” director Yorgos Lanthimos swooned over his proximity to his personal idol Bruce Springsteen, but most of the time these interactions are reserved when the cameras are off — though Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner are clearly still lively even during commercial breaks I could not get information that there were cameras.

You’d never know that the Golden Globes were back after several scandal-filled years in the same ballroom where they were held for years. The conversations were about how fun it was to be back, whether Travis Kelce would appear on the show with Taylor Swift (he didn’t), and who would take home the Oscar for this one. Some complained about last-minute seating assignments for high-profile attendees who were not told who their tablemates would be until late Saturday afternoon.

Bustle before show time

There’s always a rush of excitement in the moments before the show starts as the biggest stars flock down the red carpet to deliver their opening monologue. Jennifer Lawrence, a well-known fan of “Warm Chardonnay,” entered with a martini in her hand and a meaningful look in her eyes. Oprah Winfrey was right behind her; She seemed to be the only elite person in the room with a full security detail, clearing the way for herself and Gayle King.

Many of the most famous faces were seated at a table at stage level, where Harrison Ford sat down early, along with Selena Gomez, who was excited to be served Nobu sushi. Attendees were greatly excited to improve the food options, which after years of chicken, fish and root vegetables had already been exhausted by the time everyone was seated.

Soon after, Martin Short joined Gomez in a spot clearly marked “Meryl Streep.” Short quickly stood up to speak to Ford, who motioned for him to sit down. Short was ignored and soon they were both in fits of laughter. Ford then went to “Indiana Jones” director Steven Spielberg and former co-star Kate Capshaw to catch up.

As they talked, Ben Affleck moved towards studio executive Tom Rothman, who was chatting and laughing before leaving to sit next to his friend Matt Damon. Kristin Wiig also stopped Paul Giamatti from congratulating her on her performance in “The Holdovers.”

In a different part of the room, Gary Oldman kissed “Oppenheimer” director Christopher Nolan on the cheek, and a voice over the speaker urged everyone to take their seats quickly.

Elsewhere, “Priscilla” star Cailee Spaeny looked teary-eyed as she made her way to her seat, while a waitress was whispering to Quinta Brunson about how gorgeous she looked.

Election seats, photos and speeches

Unlike previous years, the TV tables were as interesting as the movie tables; The cast of “The Bear” sat in a heavily trafficked area that became even more crowded with their subsequent wins. While Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White stood close for most of the night, Edebiri took photos of his co-star Matty Nathanson with the digital camera he brought.

“Beau is Afraid” star Joaquin Phoenix stood next to his director Ari Aster, while Emily Blunt and John Krasinski hugged Martin Scorsese behind them, and Katharine McPhee took a photo of the room with her phone.

Jo Koy’s strange monologue led many to look for another drink early in the show. The Globes cleverly placed the bar, dessert table and some sushi extras in a separate room at the back of the ballroom, which was filled throughout the night by the likes of Florence Pugh, Helen Mirren, Shameik Moore, Barry Keoghan and Christina. Ricci.

Back in the room, Ali Wong had a meaningful conversation with “All of Us Strangers” star Andrew Scott about his harrowing film.

“I didn’t know what it was about before I saw it,” Wong said. “He broke me.”

Scott also had an animated conversation with Pedro Pascal, while Allison Williams posed for a photo with former “Girls” boyfriend and current “The Bear” cast member Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

The cast of “The Bear” were seated right next to “The Crown” table; Elizabeth Debicki was one of many who went there to talk and laugh with White and Edebiri. Robert Downey Jr. he chose to shout across the room. “What’s wrong BEAR” he shouted and blew them kisses.

His “Oppenheimer” co-star Florence Pugh, who stayed with her friend Zoe Lister-Jones all night, also came out to congratulate Ebediri but was immediately pulled back by Gillian Anderson, who took a selfie with her friend.

Pugh and Lister-Jones were heading to the bar for some sushi and drinks. “I’m hungry!” cried Pugh. Everywhere you looked there were fun conversations going on, like Riley Keogh laughing with Colman Domingo or Charles Melton talking to Barry Keoghan (hopefully about prosthetics).

near the end

After about two hours, the night began to lengthen and many people took breaks in the restroom. Natasha Lyonne spotted Elizabeth Olsen there and gushed over her dress, and several other Marvel stars laughed when they found themselves in the sink at the same time.

“I want to change,” Pom Klementieff told her “Guardians of the Galaxy” co-star Karen Gillan.

Gillan agreed and Klementieff sighed, “Let’s go back to hell.”

After the lobby show, a shoeless Brie Larson jumped up to Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach in the lobby outside and chanted “Gret-A, Gret-A!” before jumping up to hug the “Barbie” director.

They were just a few of the many celebrities milling around the lobby and attending various studio and agency parties held around Los Angeles; Many will analyze what the night’s results mean for the Oscars. Is “Oppenheimer” now clearly ahead? Could “Maestro” and “Maestro” make a comeback? Why did “Barbie” ONLY win two awards?

Or maybe it will stay light and fun. Because the cameras are really off at those parties.